Phbsekve jars



April 1929. e. HIETZGERN' 1,709,789

MACHINE FOR HERME'IICALLY"CLOSING PRESERVE JARS Filed March 17, 1926 Patented Apr. 16, T1929.

UNITED SA'tiES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORG HIETZGERN, OF KREMS, AUSTRIA.

Application filed March 17, 1926, Serial No. 95,399, and in Austria March 20, 1925.

This invention relates to a machine for s curing hermetic closures to jars of glass, eartl'lenware or the like, of that class wherein the hermetic closing of the jar is effected by axially pressing downwards a closure upon the open end of the jar, an inturned ring of such closure engaging the bottom side of the flange of the open end of the jar.

One object of the invention to avoid breakage of the jar, as in the known machines, caused by the engagement of rigid linkage with the closure during the closing operation.

lVith this and other objects in view my invention consists in arranging a spring between the jar supporting plate and an adjustable element of the machine, a second spring being interposed between the closure pressing head and its driving linkage, such spring being stronger than that interposed between the said jar supporting plate and the said adjustable element of the machine.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 shows a form of cap as used in this invention;

Figure 2 is a view partially in section and partiallyin elevation of an open end of a jar with acover and ring applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a side elevation and Figure 4; is a front elevation partly in section of a machine for securing the closures; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the die carrier.

The closure consists of cover 1 preferably of sheet metal and a packing ring 2 of some elastic material, preferably rubber. This packing ring may be dispensed with if the cover be made of a yielding material such as waterproof paste board. 3 is the ring. the inturned top edge of which engages with the top face of the cover and the bottom edge of which is provided with notches triangular in shape. the side edges of which converge upwardly. The numeral 5 represents tongues left between successive notches.

The machine for making the closure is constructed as follows: The base plate 6 of the machine is provided with bolt holes 7 for securing it to a suitable support. A bracket 9 secured to the machine frame 8 carries the female thread for a hollow screw spindle 10 supporting a jar carrier 13 on which placed the ar 14 to be closed, a butter spring 12'being interposed between the jar carrier 13 and the spindle 10. Thejar carrier .13 is guided by a rod secured to it and passing through the hollow spindle. The buffer spring bears against a plate 15 secured to the top end of the spindle. A hand wheel 16 at the bottom end of the spindle serves for adjustiug vertically the ar carrier 13.

it die carrier 18 is secured by two screws 19 to the base plate 6 which is provided with a large slot 17. Preferably the die carrier and the die are divided axially and the novable half of the die carrier is hinged to its stationary half as at 20. The movable half is permanently acted upon by a spring20 tending to open the die carrier. For closing the die and keeping it closed the movable half of the die carrier is provided with a handle 21 having a projection 22 with which engages a book 23 pivoted to the stationary half of the die carrier. This hook forms one arm of a bell crank lever the second arm 24 of which extends upwards and is provided at its end with a knob 25. A. leaf spring 29 acts on the rear side of the arm 24 in such a manner that it tends to always keep the hook 23 in the closing position.

Centrally above the die 18 is mounted i the frame of the machine a guide 26 for a rod 27 the bottom end of which carries the pressing head 28 provided with a lateral projection 30 to which an arm 30 is pivoted. The arm 30 carries at its pivoted end an ex tension 31 adapted to engage the bottom side of the projection 30 so that the arm 30 can turn in an upward direction only.

A spring SQtends to return the arm 30 into its horizontal position. The arm 30 is so arranged that when the pressing head moves downward it strikes against the knob of the bell crank lever 214iand turns upward overcoming the action of the spring 32. y

In order to prevent an accidental downward nmvement of the pressing head, for instance, owing to the gravity as well as any turning of the same, the guide rod 27 is providcd with a groove against which a metal strip or a plate spring 27 is forced by screws 26 arranged in the guide 26. The rod carries above the rod 27 a counter plate i. o against which bears a butler spring 34 stronger than the spring 12 and engaging a sleeve 35 sliding on the rod 27. For limiting the upward movement of this sleeve the guide rod 27 is provided at its end with a nut and a counter nut 2:56. The sliding sleeve is engaged by a pair of links 37 by which the upward movement of a hand lever 38 pivoted to the guide 26 is transmitted by the sliding sleeve andthe builer spring to the pressing head.

The operation of the machine is hereinafter described.

The jar carrier 13 is adjusted. to the required position by the hand wheel 16 and the screw spindle 10 so that the flange 4.0 of the open end of the jar 14 with the packing ring, it used, the cover 1 and the sheet metal ring 3 slightly projects above the die 18. Then the open die carrier lJlOllQlli into the closed position and the prcssi head is 'forced downwards by the actuating lever The OO- bull'er spring 3 being strong r than the spril' g 12, supporting the ar carrier 12-3 and the jar l l, at first the jar together with the closure are :lorced downwards and then the tongues 5 of the ring 3 are bent inwards and upwards so as to form the lower half oil? a torus, the inner edge of which engages into the angle 4-1 between the flange a0 and the neck of the ar 14: as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As the presing head descends the pivoted arm 30 strikes against the knob 25 oi the bell crank lever 23, 2st and is turned upwards without actuating the bell crank lever. lVhen the pressing head moves upwards the arm 80 strikes against the bottom side of the knob 25 andpushes itaside, since the arm cannot yield being prevented from yielding by its extension 31 engaging with the bottom side at the projection'tlt). Thereby the hook 23 is turned and the die carrier 18 is opened. The ar thus closed can thus be removed from the front side of the table and a fresh one may be brought-into position.

The machine above described is very simple and e llicient and requires only a comparatively s iall amount of power. In some cases of sterilizing tlruits, etc. it is necessary to er:-

pelthe air after the closing cap has been put on the jar, but before the closurehas been :linally completed. Vi ith the pres-tent machine such method of closing jars is effected very rapidly, and with a smaller amount of power. Before operating the machine the die carrier is opened and a die introduced, the upper surface of which is cone-sha wd, the top 01- the cone being below the base. A jar is now introduced into the machine, a closing cap is puton the jar, the die carrier with the die is closed, and the pressing head. i" moved downwards. Due to the form of the die the tongue of the cover or the, ring are not fully bent inwards and upwards so as to form the lower hall of a torus, but are only bent under, an angle of 45 against the side wall oi'the jar, according to the form of the surface of the die, As the inner edge of the tongues of the cover of the ring does not engage the angle ll) between the flanget lO) and the neck of the jar (see Fig. 2), but only the outer surface of the jar neck with a slightfrie tion, the cover will act as a valve during the subsequent heating and sterilization. Dur- )ressed downwards and the closing ot the I jar is completed as by the die, shown the tongues of the ring being fully bent inwards and upwards so that the inner end of the tongues en; ige into the angle between the flange and the neck oi" the jar. Now. any raising of the cover prevented.

The present machine necessitates only the use of unskilled labor and is also much cheaper than the old machines and the pre ent machine may be readily adjustedrlior dililerent sizesol jars by simply exchanging the dies.

That I claim is 1. In amachine for applying hermetic closuresto jars the combination of jar supporting means comprisinga vertically adj ustable element, a jar supporting plate and a spring interposed between such jar supporting plate and adjustable element, a die carrier made in two parts hinged together one of said-parts being stationary, a spring actuated releasable locking device adapted to keep the die carrier in closed position, a divided die supported by such die carrier and adapted to enclose the jar neck with the closure placed thereon, a pressing head adaptedto engage the said closure, means for moving the said pressing head axially relatively to the said die, a spring interposed between such pressing head and the said moving means, such spring being stronger than the spring inter posed between the said vertically adjustable element and the said jar supporting plate and means operatively connected with the n'essing head for relcasii'ig the said locking device.

2. In a machine for applying hermetic closures to jars, the cong bination o't supporting n' eans comprising a vertically adjustable element, a jar supporting plate and a spring interposed between such jar supporting plate and adjustable element, a die carrier made in two parts hinged together one of said parts being stationary, a spring actuated releasable locking device pted to keep the die carrier in closed position, such locking device comprising a bellcrank lever, one arm of such leverbeing hook-shaped and aifiagtcd to keep the two parts oi the die carrier closed, the other arm of such lever. being provided with a knob, a divided die supported by suchdie carrier .andadapted to enclose the jar neckwith the closure placed thereon, a pressing head adapted to engage the said closure, means for moving the said pressing head axially relatively to the said die, a spring interposed between such pressing head and the said moving means, and means operatively connected with the pressing head for releasing the said locking device.

3. In a machine for applying hermetic closures to jars, the combination of jar supportling means comprising a vertically adjustable element, a jar supporting plate and a spring interposed between such jar supporting plate and adjustable element, a die carrier made in two parts hinged together one of said parts being stationary, a spring actuated releasable locking device adapted to keep the die ear- 'ier in closed position, a divided die supthe said closure means for movin the said pressing head axially relatively to the said ([10, a spring interposed between such pressinc head and the said moving means, and

means operatively connected with the pressine' head for releasing the said locking device, said means comprising a spring-actuated pivoted arm, and means whereby such arm is turned when the pressing head descends but is immobile to actuate the release of the locking device when the pressing head rises.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORG HIETZGERN. 

